I Am Underwhelmed.

[gridlore]

Yesterday, a large percentage of my family went to see I Am Legend. Meh. A fun film, but it had several flaws that really distracted me.

First off, fearsclave is right. Dr. Robert Neville is the Worst Deer Hunter Ever. I don't think a .223 is even going to drop a deer! Grab a police sniper rifle from a station house or wrecked patrol car, and you've got a nice deer rifle.

The other thing that really distracted me is how intact NYC was. This supposedly takes place three years after a plague has killed most of humanity and left the majority of the survivors as vampire/zombie things. Yet all the flags and awnings in New York were in good condition! None were torn or faded. In the same vein, most of the sky scrapers had intact windows, there didn't appear to be any major fire damage (I guess before dying, everyone turned off all the pilot lights, gas mains, etc.) or signs of looting.


I am big fan of the original book. In it, Neville spends his days hunting the vampires (who are nearly comatose while sleeping) along with repairing his home and scavenging for supplies. He learns that some of the infected people have learned to hold the disease mostly at bay, and he has been killing living people along with the vampires. He has become the monster, the legendary creature who walks in daylight and kills as you sleep. He is Legend.

The movie changes all that. Instead we get maddening hints that the vampires are still at least moderately intelligent (they set a clever trap for Neville) but never any resolution or development of them beyond monsters. Instead Neville encounters two other survivors, one of whom keeps going on about God and destiny. The ending of the film is as bad as the studio release of Blade Runner. After finding a cure, Neville sacrifices himself and the other survivors make to a refuge in Vermont, and everyone is happy and flowers bloom. Bleah.

Despite all that, it's a fun movie. No real gore, the vampires are well done, and Will Smith does a good enough turn as the Last Man on Earth. Three penguins, check it out at matinée prices.

Comments

[netquiddler.livejournal.com]

Well, three penguins... out of how many?

[gridlore.livejournal.com]

Five.

[fearsclave.livejournal.com]

Well, there are plenty of guys hunting deer with ARs. You want to use heavier bullets and place your shots well, and stick to smaller deer, but it can be done. My major issue with the deer is that they were utterly unlifelike. Nothing like the real thing at all.

[notthebuddha.livejournal.com]

I've seen hundreds of deer fleeing from my car and they looked real to me.

[fearsclave.livejournal.com]

The deer might look good to the untrained eye, but to somebody who's spent a lot of time in the field observing and hunting them, sometimes up close, and heck, has them casually grazing in the front yard from time to time, they were quite unconvincing.

The zombies suffered from much the same problem.

[notthebuddha.livejournal.com]

The zombies suffered from much the same problem.

How many zombies have you bagged?

[fearsclave.livejournal.com]

To be perfectly honest, none that have passed Zombie Identification Protocol One.

[firestrike.livejournal.com]

Yeah. Zombies casually grazing in the yard tends to trigger my disbelief as well.

[fearsclave.livejournal.com]

*sigh* That last bit was humour. Oh well.

[fabricdragon.livejournal.com]

thanks for the heads up on it. i rarely pay full price to see movies in any case.. but i like to know what the story is like before i try to find a matinee or second run.